Gymnast Kaylia Nemour has thrilled crowds in Paris during the Olympics, but despite being from France, she isn’t competing for her home nation this week.
Nemour burst onto the scene during the team qualifications, and earned a spot both in the uneven bars competition and in the women’s all-around event, but instead of trying to earn a medal for France, she is trying to earn Algeria’s first-ever medal in gymnastics.
According to the Associated Press, she competes for Algeria because of a dispute between the French gymnastics federation and her club Avoine Beaumont. The dispute arose after she suffered injuries that required surgery, and she was prevented from competing by the French federation despite getting a go-ahead from surgeons to do so.
The AP reported that the long-lasting crisis was settled after the French minister for Sport intervened, leaving her to compete for Algeria in these Games.
Nemour holds dual citizenship in France and Algeria, and she won a silver medal at last year’s world championships, the first medal for a gymnast representing an African nation.
Nemour will compete in the women’s uneven bars competition on Sunday, and could also compete in the balance beam and floor exercise individual competitions.